


Let's Be Lonely Together

by leoprior



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hd_familyfest, Divorce talk, Endgame Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Godfathers to Fathers, Loneliness, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Minor Character Death, POV Draco Malfoy, Ron and Hermione have died prior to the story, Runaway Harry, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-31 12:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12132687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leoprior/pseuds/leoprior
Summary: Unbeknownst to everyone around them, Harry and Draco have decided to get divorced. It’s the worst possible time to become parents to Hugo and Rose, but you can’t really go against your best friends’ will, can you?





	Let's Be Lonely Together

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt Number:** 14 by tdcat  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Disclaimer:** All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.  
>  **Warning(s):** Ron and Hermione have died prior to the story, but there are no deaths in the actual text.  
>  **Epilogue compliant?** If you bend the timeline a tiny bit, yes  
>  **Author's Notes:** As usual, biggest thanks to [Meruem_YK](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockel/pseuds/Meruem_YK)/Lockel. This fic would not exist without you and your helpful advice, and I’m so glad you keep working with me :)

_March 7, 2017_

Draco stared at his calendar. _March 13, 2016._ The day Hermione and Ron Weasley died. He hadn’t written anything into the blank white box next to the date, but it was hauntingly clear what day it was.

With a pen in his hand, Draco let his hand run over the page before closing the calendar and putting it away. Just six more days until the first anniversary of one of the darkest days in his life; and he’s had a few in his lifetime. 

He was sitting on the kitchen counter; the house was quiet, and Draco enjoyed the silence and solitude. Mornings were his favorite part of the day for exactly that reason. With a steaming mug in his hands, he gazed out of the window absentmindedly. The world was still covered in that weirdly bright early morning light, which only lasted for a brief period of time after sunrise. The streets outside were mostly empty; only every couple of minutes did a car drive by. 

His thoughts occupied with Hermione and Ron, Draco turned his head towards the fridge and looked at their smiling faces on the paper clipping Harry had stuck there. In the photograph, Ron and Hermione were on either side of Harry, and he had wrapped his arms tightly around them. Ron was pulling funny faces to make Hermione laugh, despite her trying to keep a simple smile for the photograph. Harry was grinning brilliantly throughout the entire thing. After a few seconds, the movement started over again. It had been taken almost four years ago, shortly after Rose’s seventh birthday. Draco remembered the moment vividly, because he was the one that had taken the picture. 

It was still painful to visit memories like this one; especially considering how far they’d all come. If somebody had told him during his time at Hogwarts that he would learn to love the Golden Trio one day, he would have probably died from laughter at the idea; especially at the part where he loved one of them so much, that they’d eventually get married… 

No matter how unlikely their friendship had seemed after their rather hostile teenage years, through his love for Harry, Draco had come to appreciate both Ron and Hermione each in their own way. What he had perceived as Ron’s obnoxiousness and naivete had turned out to be qualities of a true, caring friend who’d stick with you through everything. Plus, he was an amazing chess player and, after Rose’s and later Hugo’s birth, proved himself to be a terrific father. 

After Harry had kept dragging him to their little get-togethers, Hermione had warmed up to Draco much quicker than Ron had. They had had the best conversations about astronomy, history, charms, potions, the Ministry… the list went on and on, and Draco quickly started to value Hermione as the intelligent, highly capable woman she was to everybody else. When the three boys had gotten into another heated argument over trivial stuff, she was the one to bring reason and calmness, sorting out every issue or situation they had gotten into. Draco had also loved her sense of humor; their sarcastic and witty remarks were mostly lost on Harry and Ron, but they deepened the bond between Draco and Hermione. 

Draco put down the cup of tea he was still holding. He didn’t want to drink it anymore. It was always the quiet moments when the sadness crept back in and reminded him of his loss. Would this time of year forever be difficult now? 

“What a fucking year,” Draco mumbled and shoved his calendar into one of the drawers on his left. He put his cup into the dishwasher and left the kitchen. He stopped in the hallway, as he saw Harry come down the stairs. His eyes were puffy, as usual in the morning. He was wearing an old pair of dark jeans and was just pulling his green jumper over his head. His shaggy hair was a mess and Draco vaguely remembered how that used to be one of the things he loved so much about Harry. 

“Morning,” Harry mumbled and put his glasses back on. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stood still for a second and nodded at Draco, who was leaning on the wall, arms crossed. 

“Morning,” Draco responded with a faint smile. “Off to work?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded and pulled out his phone. “Got a long day ahead, so I’ll see you tonight.” Typing away, he walked next to Draco, who was leafing through the mail that was on the little counter.

“I’m seeing Astoria at six, and I’ll start my shift at nine tonight. Got a curious case in,” said Draco and looked closer at the note he’d tried to find.

“Oh, well,” Harry said, uninvolved, and grabbed his keys and wallet. “Say hi from me.”

“Sure,” Draco nodded. “Have a good day at work.” He turned and headed for the stairs, before Harry addressed him one more time.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Harry searched for Draco’s eyes and hesitated for a second. “Ginny called. They want us over at the Burrow on Monday.” 

Draco saw the hint of pain in his husband’s eyes. It was nothing more than a flicker; Harry had become so good at hiding his grief and sorrow that Draco could barely read him anymore these days. 

“You’ll come?”

Draco took a breath. “Of course.” 

Harry nodded briefly in appreciation; then he turned around and walked out the door. Draco stood at the bottom of the stairs for a few more seconds, staring after him. _What a fucking year._

***

Dinner with Astoria was as pleasant as always. They had made it a tradition to get together at least one night of the week, and since Draco wasn’t the most social person and he and Harry barely spoke anyways, it wasn’t hard to follow through with their plan. 

Tonight, Astoria had picked a lovely little sushi place which was so crowded that the line outside never seemed to disappear.

“Thank Merlin you thought of making reservations!” Draco exclaimed, as he dipped a piece of maki into the soy sauce. 

“I know. It’s madness here around dinner time,” Astoria said and eyed the people waiting for an empty table.

“Our usual places aren’t this exclusive,” Draco stated. “Not that this isn’t nice. It’s a good choice.” 

“It’s good to try something new every once in a while, you know.” Astoria smirked at him.

Draco nodded. He loved her for taking him to new restaurants and pushing him out of his comfort zone a little bit. And also for dragging him out of the house. “I remember trying new things.”

Astoria chuckled and, as sad as that comment was, Draco chuckled as well. “You’re daft.”

“I’m serious! I used to do stuff like this with Harry a lot.”

“I know you did. I’m just saying... there’s no reason not to do that anymore,” Astoria shrugged. “It’s not like your life has ended. You can still do stuff.” 

“There is one reason,” Draco frowned. “It’s called divorce papers, which are sitting on my kitchen counter, waiting for my signature as we speak.”

“Way to bring down the night, Draco,” Astoria mumbled, more or less to herself. 

“You’re right,” Draco shook his head. “I’m starting to get bitter again. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” She looked at him. “I’m your friend. We can talk about those things.”

“Thanks,” Draco smiled and continued to eat. 

“So you still haven’t signed them?”

Draco shook his head again. “Nope.” 

“Has he?”

“Nope,” Draco said and huffed. 

“Gee, it’s almost like you guys don’t wanna get divorced at all,” Astoria said, flinging her long, brown hair back. As usual, she looked stunning tonight. Draco felt bad that he hadn’t even noticed her long, silver tassel earrings, which she was clearly showing off, nor the beautiful royal blue dress she was wearing. He was a shit friend, and Astoria was so lovely to him. “Are you even sure this is the right thing to do?” 

“All I know is that it can’t go on like this anymore. We were already stuck and bored before Hermione and Ron’s death, but after that, it’s only gotten worse,” Draco said with a sigh. He finished off the last piece of sushi and laid the sticks on his plate. “Let’s drop that topic for tonight!” He put on his best smile and eyed Astoria. “What’s going on with you? You look fantastic tonight. Is there a new man in your life you’re trying to impress? You’re practically glowing. If I didn’t know how much you hate the idea of childbirth I’d say you were pregnant.” 

Astoria laughed heartily. “Okay, first of all, that’s a terrible assumption. I don’t dress like this to impress any man. Secondly, thank you for the compliment. I was in the mood to bring a little glamour tonight. I don’t know… I guess I was just excited to see my best friend.” 

Draco rolled his eyes at the cheesy compliment, but he couldn’t help but smile and reach for Astoria’s hand to show how much he appreciated her. “How about… we get a drink after this? I could really use some fun tonight.” 

***  
_13 March 2017_

“Need any help with that?”

Draco turned around and saw Ginny Weasley standing there, leaning against the doorframe. Her long hair was in a ponytail that swung from side to side as she walked towards him.

“Yes, please,” he said and stepped aside. “I was trying to water them.” The Weasley kitchen was a mystery to him. He had thought that with everyone outside catching the sparse rays of sunlight, he could take a moment to prepare the flowers he and Harry had brought. The large arrangement sat on the kitchen table, colorful and bright. Almost cynically so, regarding the occasion they had all come together today. “It felt useless to bring food, you know, so we thought a few flowers might be nice.” 

Ginny smiled at him. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, Draco.” 

“I was trying to use the sink, but it’s a pain. The arrangement is too large to put in there, and seeing how your mum doesn’t really react well to magic around her…” Draco explained, helpless. He brushed a strand of his blond hair out of his face. 

“That’s really respectful”, Ginny said. “But for what it’s worth, she’s not here now so she won’t notice a little spell. She knows we’re all practicing magic. She’s just decided for herself, not to do it anymore.”

Ever since she’d lost her second child to a magic curse, Molly’s attitude towards magic had changed. At first, everyone had thought that it was just a natural reaction to what had happened. However, as the weeks went by, she had slowly stopped bewitching her household items one by one; she did all her chores by hand now and it was a tragic sight. The first time they had entered the Burrow and there were no self-stirring pots and no self-knitting needles, it felt hauntingly strange. After Ron and Hermione’s death, the Burrow fell silent and it never really awakened again. 

“I’m sorry, I just can’t bring myself to do magic right now. I just can’t do it,” she’d say again and again, and it was jarring to hear from her. Everyone had eventually accepted that she had a bit of a hard time being around magic, but nobody really knew how to move forward now. 

“Here, let’s do it together,” Ginny said and reached for her wand. Draco lifted his right after, and together they said _Augamenti_. Skilled as the two of them were, they managed to wet the soil without flooding the table.

“Thanks, Ginny,” Draco said and nodded. 

“You’re welcome,” she smiled. “I’m thankful you guys came here today. It’s been hard for mum and dad this week. And, honestly, I’m glad for a little support today, too.” 

Draco reached forward to give her a hug. “Of course. That’s what family’s for.” 

“Are you okay? Harry seems quite well…” Ginny asked as they let go of each other.

“Me? I’m… okay. I think,” Draco said. “I miss them terribly but I have so many fond memories, especially today. Keeps me from being too sad. And you know Harry; he’s just putting up a front to be strong for your family.” 

“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Ginny said, a weak smile on her face. “Ever the brave one.” 

“Ever the Gryffindor,” Draco said, making Ginny laugh. 

“What’s so funny?”

Harry entered the kitchen, eyebrows raised.

“Thank you for the flowers, Harry. They’re wonderful,“ Ginny said, winking at Draco and forgoing an explanation. “I’ll give you guys a minute.”

She briefly put her hand on Harry’s shoulder as she walked out. Harry took in the arrangement then turned to Draco.

“Do you want to bring them outside now?”

“Yes,” Harry answered. “The sun’s about to go down, so I think we’ll have the bonus of great lighting when we present them.” He flattened his hair in one swift motion and made sure his glasses were sitting straight on his nose.

Draco laughed and shook his head. “Alright.” 

“And, Draco? I just wanted to thank you for coming today,” Harry said, looking at Draco. “I know things haven’t been easy for us, and you don’t really owe me anything. But I’m very glad you’re here today and I know everyone else is too.” 

“Come on, Harry,” Draco said, frowning. “You don’t need to thank me for that. Things may not have worked out for us but you all are still my family. Where else would I be today?”

Harry nodded and ruffled his hair again. From that, Draco knew that Harry was uncomfortable and unsure of what to say, so he appreciated his words even more. 

“I just feel terrible lying to everybody about… you know… our divorce,” Draco said, a little more quiet now. Harry looked at the flowers in front of him, clearly not wanting to face Draco.

“We agreed on waiting until after today. They have enough on their minds already,” Harry reminded Draco and used a towel to soak up some water that was now spilling out of the flowers. His voice was a littler harder now, almost strained.

“I know,” Draco said, shrugging. “Still doesn’t make it easy.” 

“They’re already a broken family. We don’t need to break them up any further just yet.” 

The way Harry said those words made it clear that the conversation was over for now. Draco knew that Harry was right: they had agreed on waiting to tell the Weasleys until after the anniversary of Ron and Hermione’s death. They had never been very open with their kissing and touching, so them keeping their distance around each other wasn’t necessarily a clue for anything. Still, the Weasleys weren’t idiots. Draco was worried they’d see through their charade and be even more disappointed hearing about their issues this way. 

This whole situation felt wrong to Draco. After the deaths of Harry’s two best friends, it had been out of the question for Draco to move out or make Harry move out of their apartment. He knew that Harry had needed support, somebody to make him food, make him go to work or simply to comfort him when the grief became too overwhelming. They may have grown apart a bit, but Draco still cared for Harry. But one thing had led to another, and as the months had passed by, they had settled into their new life as husbands-turned-roommates. It was comforting to both of them, Draco knew, but it stopped them both from moving on. 

He dreaded telling the Weasleys and divorcing Harry. This family was special to Draco because they had accepted him despite his past and had shown him love in ways he’d never known before from his own family. But this was not a life he or Harry should be living. It wasn’t a life at all; it was a lie. 

“ _Locomotor flowers_ ,” Harry mumbled and pointed his wand at the arrangement. It immediately rose into the air and then hovered in front of him as he walked out of the kitchen. Hopefully Harry would remember to put it down before Molly could see him.

Draco sighed.

***

Impatient and a little out of breath, Draco waited in Bill’s old room. Or maybe it was Percy’s old room, he wasn’t sure. In his confusion he had just stormed out of the living room, up the stairs and into the next best room. He’d politely asked Harry to follow him so it shouldn’t be long until he arrived. He paced up and down as the old floorboards creaked under him. His head was spinning.

“Harry, wait!” Somebody shouted and a few seconds later, Harry came into the room, as pale as Draco himself. George followed right after.

“Guys, I know this is a lot-”

“George, we really need a moment alone here,” Draco said sternly and put his hands at his sides. For a second, they all stared at each other. Then George nodded briefly and walked out of the room again, closing the door behind him.

“What the hell,” Draco exclaimed and threw his arms up, looking at Harry. “How could you just say yes?” He felt loose strands of his hair fall out of place, but he didn’t care enough to put them back in place.

“What was I supposed to do?” Harry spun around, stretching his arms out as if to say there’d been no other option than to agree on raising two children. 

“We can’t just take in Hugo and Rose, Harry! Are you insane?” Draco almost wanted to shout but he knew better than to clue the entire family in on their argument.

“We don’t have a choice. We are their godfathers, remember? Ron and Hermione stipulated in their will, that we - you and me - raise their children in the event of their death!”

“I know what their will says; I was there last year!” Draco said, clenching his fists. “Back then, though, nobody seemed to care about any of this! You said you couldn’t take care of two children and I agreed. Molly and Arthur were happy to have the kids move in with them. We had already thought about getting a divorce back then. How does it make any more sense to take in two children now?!” Draco was uncomfortable being so loud but at the same time he didn’t care enough to control himself. He loosened a button on his shirt. 

“You heard what Molly and Arthur said; they’re both getting too old to keep up with the children. Rose is eleven and Hugo is eight. You can’t possibly expect the Weasleys to act as parents to them?”

Draco widened his eyes. “What?! Then what were you expecting from them for the past year when they were raising the kids?” 

Harry sighed and crossed his arms. “It was a crap arrangement. It worked for the moment but it doesn’t anymore. We’ve always been their legal guardians, Draco. Ron and Hermione saw to that when they wrote their will.”

“Right, we’ve been singing permission slips for school trips and checking in with the hospital when Rose sprained her ankle practicing flying,” Draco said, brows furrowed. “But we didn’t raised them. That was all Molly and Arthur. And thank Merlin for them.”

“They’re their grandparents. They should go to the zoo with them and spoil them with candy. We are supposed to take care of them. It’s what Ron and Hermione wanted.”

Now it was Draco who sighed. Where was all of this coming from all of a sudden? Bringing Ron and Hermione into the argument was unfair, and that’s probably exactly why Harry had done it. To guilt-trip Draco into the idea. Now, all of a sudden, Harry cared about their wishes? Last year, in the wake of their death, Harry and Draco had both felt unable to take in Hugo and Rose. Luckily, Molly and Arthur saw it as a blessing to have them live with them. Molly had always felt the Burrow was too empty after most of her children had moved out, and Draco suspected that she’d seen the kids as a miniature version of the ones she’d lost. 

“Look,” Draco said after a while, sitting down on the bed. “I love Hermione and Ron. You know I do. And of course I want to respect their wishes. But you have to face the facts here, Harry. We’re not a couple anymore. The Weasleys have asked us thinking they’d do us a favor by bringing two children into our supposedly happy marriage. Neither them, nor I for that matter, want to see Hugo and Rose grow up in a broken home. I grew up with two unhappy parents and we both know that was a disaster.” 

Harry didn’t respond right away, which let Draco hope that Harry was at least considering his words. They both knew it was pointless to keep yelling at each other, and the longer they’d stay up here, the more suspicious it seemed. After Harry’s stating that they’d love to finally take in Hugo and Rose, Draco had excused himself and left, which meant right now the Weasleys were probably worried and confused downstairs.

“Fuck, this entire situation. Fuck Hermione and Ron dying”, Draco spat. “It keeps haunting us day after day after day.”

“It’s not their fault.”

“I’m not saying it is. I’m saying I wish they were still here.”

“Don’t you think I wish for that too? Every single day?” Harry asked, raising his voice again. “We owe it to them, Draco. We have to do it.”

Draco tried to sort his thoughts but nothing really made sense to him. For the past months, Harry had been so passive and detached from practically anything that it was highly confusing to see him take such a strong stand on something all of a sudden. 

“No, you know what?” Harry said, eyeing him. “We don’t just have to. I want to. I want to be there for Hugo and Rose. I’m their godfather. I didn’t have my parents growing up, and Sirius was everything to me. If I can give Hugo and Rose some sort of stability and normalcy, I will.” 

Draco noticed the fire in Harry’s eyes. It was surprising to see him so passionate about anything. How long had that fire been out? 

“I’m not forcing you to do anything, Draco. I will do this on my own if I have to.” 

“You really want to play happy family? Rose is the smartest person of the whole family; she’ll have us figured out within a day of living with us. It’s not healthy, Harry.”

“We don’t have to pretend anything,” Harry said calmly. ”We’re civil, aren’t we? This has nothing to do with our relationship.”

“You’re insane,” Draco huffed and got up again. He walked over to the window and stared into the night sky. The fact that Harry had jumped at the idea so readily and had made up his mind within minutes was unsettling.

“For the past year I’ve dealt with my struggles and hardships. It’s time I finally put the children first. It’s my duty,” Harry said, almost with a sense of pride. 

“Harry,” Draco pleaded. “This is a huge decision. Literally life-changing. How can you be so sure this is the right thing to do? At home, we have our divorce papers waiting for us. And now, you want us to commit to a lifetime together as parents?”

“The way I see it, it’s not really a choice. So it doesn’t matter what I think. Just because our marriage didn’t work out doesn’t mean we despise each other, does it?” 

“Is this what you had in mind when you said you wanted to spend the rest of our lives together?” Draco asked, more or less joking. “I need to think about this.”

“Of course,” Harry said, his features finally going soft again. “And no, that’s not what I imagined. Although I did always think we’d have a little family someday.” 

***

_June 14, 2017_

Astoria walked towards him with a big smile on her face and carrying two large cups. She made a funny face when she spotted Draco and leaped towards him.

“There you are!” He exclaimed and took the one cup she offered him. “Come bearing gifts?”

“It’s just some new trendy tea blend. They always come up with weird stuff in the summer,” she said, rolling her eyes and flashing a bright smile. “Don’t ask. Just enjoy.” 

Her laugh was infectious, as always. Her hair was in a messy bun and by the looks of it, she’d been working from home today. Instead of one of her usual dresses she wore some sort of active wear; yoga pants and a black top. 

“You look like a mum,” Draco teased her drily, to which Astoria playfully hit his arm. 

“You don’t look like a dad,” she retorted, to which he rolled his eyes. “Yet here we are, outside of a school, waiting for your children.” Draco felt very comfortable in his dress shirt and his dark jeans; he wasn’t going to give up dressing nicely just because he had children now.

“Still sounds so weird,” Draco admitted, taking a sip from his drink. Astoria laughed again and turned towards the building. The huge door was still closed but soon enough all the kids would come running out, Hugo and Rose among them. 

“How is everything?” Astoria asked and eyed him again. “I haven’t seen you since you gave birth.”

“Funny,” Draco commented. “It’s been good. Stressful, to be honest. We’ve spent the past few weeks buying new furniture and clothes and toys and whatnot. They’re keeping their rooms at the Burrow so we had to refurnish and restock the entire apartment, basically.” 

“I still need to come by and check it out!” Astoria exclaimed excitedly before suddenly turning serious. “Do you get enough sleep?”

“They’re not babies. They sleep through the night, you know,” Draco said with a huff. He was tired, but not because Hugo and Rose kept waking up in the middle of the night, but because he felt stretched pretty thin between being a father at home and a researcher at work. “All of a sudden I’m cooking every day now, and I’m doing so much laundry; it’s crazy. I barely get to keep up with my cases.”

“And you’re picking them up from school!” Astoria added, right on time as the school bell rang. 

“Well, today’s special. I’ve promised them that I’d pick them up and take them out for lunch as a treat for not taking them to the movies on the weekend. I had this nasty case at work that I needed to do some research for at home, so I couldn’t go.”

“Look at you, parenting like a proper parent,” Astoria said, nodding. “I heard bargaining with your children is crucial, so good for you.”

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or being serious right now, so I choose to ignore you,” Draco simply said, focusing on the various children that were exiting the building, running towards their waiting parents.

“So the kids have adjusted well?” Astoria asked eventually, this time no mocking tone. 

Draco nodded. “As far as I can tell. I mean, they’ve known us their whole lives. We’ve done stuff together; they’ve been to our place many times. They enjoy being closer to school and their friends now.”

“And what about famous Mr Potter? Is he in the picture as well?” Astoria inquired.

“Oh,” Draco said. “Yeah, of course. He’s been brilliant, actually. He’s so patient and attentive; it’s nice to see him involved. I almost wanna say he’s back to his old form, in a way.”

Astoria cocked an eyebrow at this comment. “Am I sensing a reunion?” 

“Don’t read too much into this,” Draco clarified. “It’s just good to see him happy again. Having Hugo and Rose there really is like hanging out with a Mini-Ron and a Mini-Hermione.” He couldn’t help but smile at the thought. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Astoria said eventually. “I worry about you, you know. I’m still not sure what to think of this entire situation but I’ve accepted it and as long as you’re fine, I’m fine too.”

“I know you worry,” Draco said fondly. “But for now, I’m good. Having the children around is really a blessing. They’re fantastic. That’s my priority now.”

Before he could elaborate any further, somebody was yelling “Uncle Draco!” and a few seconds later a pale, red-haired boy appeared next to them, hugging Draco’s waist. 

“Hugo!” Draco said happily, ruffling his hair. 

“Hi, Astoria,” Hugo said politely, not letting go of Draco. He wasn’t shy, but he wasn’t necessarily fond of Astoria. The feeling was mutual.

“Hello, young man,” Astoria greeted him in her usual strange fashion. She was no fan of children, which Draco thought was hilarious. “How was your day?”

“Long,” he sighed, as if he had just come home from the longest day at the office. “I’m hungry. Can we go eat?” He looked up at Draco with big eyes. 

“There’s your sister. Just give us a moment, then we’ll go,” Draco said, waving at Rose as she strolled out of the building, surrounded by a few friends. Upon seeing him, she smiled and walked over, her long hair waving in the wind. 

“Hey everyone,” she said and stretched out her hand at Astoria. “Hi Ms Greengrass.”

Astoria frowned but returned the handshake. Rose always did this when she saw Astoria, and it never got old how uncomfortable it made her. “Um, hey, Rose.” 

“Let’s go!” Draco exclaimed and started walking down the road, one arm around the shoulders of each child. “Are we still agreeing on pizza?”

“Yes! I’ve been looking forward to it all day,” Rose said, excited. “Grandma never let us eat pizza.”

“You’ve never had pizza?” Astoria almost shouted, clutching her cup tightly, as she walked next to Rose. “Bloody hell!”

“Language,” Draco hissed at Astoria. “Molly’s cooking is fantastic but it’s very British, admittedly. Not a lot of Italian, I’m afraid.” 

“I know Italian!” Hugo exclaimed and looked up at the grown ups. “I know _ciao_ and _pizza_.” 

Draco ignored the exasperated look Astoria was giving him, laughing. “That’s not bad, Hugo. I bet you know more than that. How about _pasta_?” 

“Everybody knows food words,” Rose sighed, pulling her hair in a ponytail. “That’s not knowing the language.”

“She’s right,” Astoria agreed and sipped on her tea. “Everybody knows food words.”

“It’s like I’m having three children today.” 

***

_July 26, 2017_

It was a summery evening, a few days before Harry’s 37th birthday, when Draco and Harry were sitting out on their little rooftop terrace. It overlooked many of the surrounding houses as their apartment was fairly high up, and it had just enough room to fit in a table with four chairs and a few plant pots. The sun was almost setting, coloring the sky orange. A few stray clouds were lingering above them but it was still a perfect, rare summer evening in London.

Draco had his feet up on another chair, slowly swirling a glass in his hand. Harry was sitting next to him, eyes closed and taking in the sunrays. Hugo was fast asleep downstairs, and Rose was probably still reading in bed.

“I’m exhausted,” Harry sighed. “Glad it’s the weekend.”

“Me too,” Draco said lazily. “Although I still need to get some work done.”

“But you promised Rose to take her to the astronomy exhibit tomorrow,” Harry reminded him, his voice soft and low. 

“I know and I’ll take her,” Draco said. “I’ve been looking forward to that all week.”

“You two…” Harry sighed, smiling with his eyes closed. “I never got your fascination with the moon and the stars, but then again, I never got it with Hermione either.”

“It’s nothing for the simple minded,” Draco teased and took a sip. “Rose is brilliant. Sometimes I’m having more interesting and fruitful conversations with her than with my peers. I’m not joking.”

“She really takes after her mother, doesn’t she?” Harry said with a hint of pride in his tone and looked at Draco for confirmation.

“She does.”

After a little pause, Harry continued: “I think I’ll head down to the Burrow with Hugo tomorrow. It’s been a week since we’ve visited Molly, and you know how she gets when she doesn’t see us for a while.”

Draco nodded. He hadn’t been to the Burrow for quite some time. Every since Hugo and Rose had moved in with them, there wasn’t really a need for him to go down there, except for the family dinners and birthday celebrations. Additionally, Molly’d gotten more and more difficult to deal with, particularly with her aversion towards magic. “How is Molly?”

Harry sighed. “As usual. It’s hard to tell. Sometimes she’s the old one but most of the time she’s just sad and gloomy now. She doesn’t use magic at all anymore and it’s really heartbreaking.” He sounded helpless and Draco felt terrible.

“I’m sorry,” Draco said and looked over. Harry’s hair had gotten so long that he wore it in a bun most of the time now. He had a thick beard that wasn’t really just a scruff anymore, but Draco liked the new Harry. He hadn’t had any time to have his hair cut or even shave, but it signaled some sort of change. And change was all Draco had wanted. 

“Don’t be. You know I hate it when you say that,” Harry said and reached for his glass. “You’ve been nothing but brilliant in all of this. To Molly. To our children. To me. Without you I’d be a single father completely overwhelmed with the task.”

Draco laughed. “Yes, probably.” 

“And I’m proud of us. We’re doing really well, given the circumstances, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah, we’re a good team,” Draco admitted and stared out over the rooftops. “I feel like we are finally getting some sort of routine. Like we’re settling in. All four of us, really.”

Suddenly, a black spot appeared in the sky, getting larger as it came closer. 

“What’s that?” Draco frowned and got up. Harry followed him and together they tried to make out the object, leaning over the bannister.

“It’s an owl,” Harry finally exclaimed when he could make out the wings and a few moments later the animal landed on their table. With a plop, a letter fell out of its mouth.

“Holy shit,” said Draco, holding up the familiar envelope. “It’s Rose’s Hogwarts letter.” 

****

_August 28, 2017_

It was almost midnight when Draco heard the front door unlock. He listened to Harry putting down his keys, hanging up his coat and then saw him walk into the living room. He startled in surprise when he spotted Draco.

“You’re still up?” Harry asked quietly, rubbing his eyes.

“I was wondering when you’d come home,” Draco said tonelessly. He sat on the sofa, his phone in hand. 

“Wait,” Harry said suddenly and froze. “Shit, shit, sorry, I forgot.” With a pained expression on his face he sank his head in his hands.

“I know,” Draco said. “You forgot her again. You were supposed to pick up Rose from Maisie’s house tonight and then take her to the children’s theater.” It was supposed to be Rose’s farewell before she went to Hogwarts, just her and Harry.

“Fuck, I forgot,” Harry mumbled, sitting down next to Draco. “I’m so mad at myself!”

“Harry, this is the third time this has happened,” Draco said calmly. He had enough reason to be mad but he simply didn’t have the energy for another fight. “Rose called me at work when you didn’t show and I left to pick her up at eight. Maisie’s mum was nice enough to let Rose join their dinner, but I still felt like a shit parent when I picked her up. By the time we got home it was too late to take her to the theater.”

Harry put his head in his hands again and groaned. “I’m such a fuck-up. I’m so sorry, Draco. I’m sorry. Was she mad?”

Draco shook his head. “She barely spoke on the ride home and then pretty much went straight to bed. She wasn’t angry. I think she’s just disappointed.” Which clearly was even worse than her being mad. It hadn’t been an easy month for their household. After Harry’s birthday, the stress seemed to take a larger toll on Harry than expected.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Harry whispered. “It’s so bloody busy at the Ministry all the time now; I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”

“You’re overworked,” Draco stated. “I get it. I’m glad that I can often work from home so I can somehow manage the household, but it’s tough.”

“It’s too tough,” Harry let out.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s too tough. I clearly can’t handle this. It’s too much,” Harry said, looking at Draco. He wasn’t crying but his eyes looked red and exhausted. His hair was all over the place, now desperately needing a trim.

“You just need a break. Can’t you take a couple of days off?” Draco suggested, worried. “I have a tough week ahead at work next week, and our kids need us. Even with Rose going to Hogwarts next week, Hugo isn’t old enough to stay by himself at home all day.”

“I know,” Harry said, barely audible. “I can’t leave work. Not right now. It’s all just too much. I can’t do it.”

“Stop saying that,” Draco grunted, a little impatient. “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. We’ve had a few shit weeks, but I need you to work with me here. Otherwise this family isn’t going to work.”

Harry got up and walked a few steps back and forth. “What family? You were right all along. This is a farce. I’m in over my head and now I’m dumping all of this on you and I’m dragging two excellent children into this.”

Draco sighed. He really wasn’t in the mood to pick Harry up again or have another one of _those_ talks. He was tired, too. “This isn’t helping anybody. Just… just take a breath. Remember your priorities.” The last thing he wanted was for Harry to throw another tantrum about how he was a terrible father and a horrible husband. He had been having plenty of those in the last few weeks.

“I’m a shit father to them and a shit husband to you,” Harry continued, shaking his head. Before Draco could respond, he heard some shuffling on the stairs, and they both turned towards the noise. 

“Uncle Harry? Uncle Draco?” A small voice piped up, and Hugo stepped forwards out of the shadows. He was in his pyjamas and held onto the railing. 

“Shit,” Draco mumbled and got up, ready to deal with Hugo.

“Let me handle this,” Harry said instead and looked at Draco. “You should get some sleep.” For a short moment they looked at each other, then Draco nodded. Harry walked over to Hugo and picked him up. “Can’t sleep? Did we wake you?”

Hugo rested his head against Harry’s shoulder. Draco walked over to give his godson a quick kiss on the head before mumbling a brief “Night” to Harry and walking up the stairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, he waited for a moment, listening for what was happening downstairs. 

He heard Harry sitting down on the sofa, presumably with Hugo still in his arms. 

“What’s the matter, pumpkin?”

Draco walked down a few steps, quietly, so they wouldn’t hear him. They were facing away from him, so he was safe from being discovered. 

“I miss my mum and my dad,” Hugo answered truthfully and Draco clutched his chest. Hugo and Rose barely spoke about their parents; mostly it was Harry who would bring up random stories he remembered, cheering them up or making them laugh. Only in quiet, rare moments would they share how much they missed them, and only ever with Harry.

“Oh, Hugo…,” Harry said, barely audible, and held him a little more tightly. “I miss them too.” He softly let his hand run over Hugo’s hair. He seemed a lot more relaxed now than just a few moments ago. Draco smiled faintly at the scene and got up. He had been curious for a second but he wasn’t going to listen in on their private conversation now.

“You know,” he heard Harry say as he walked back up. “Have I ever told you the story of how your father and I stole Grandpa Arthur’s car and flew it to Hogwarts?”

Hugo squeaked, suddenly much more awake. “No! Tell me! Grandpa has a flying car?” 

Walking into his bedroom, smiling, Draco couldn’t hear Harry tell the story anymore but he’d heard it plenty of times before.

***

_August 30, 2017_

“Uncle Draco?” Rose’s voice carried through the deserted hall and she appeared from behind a massive room divider that was plastered with posters.

Draco had brought her to the observatory - their favorite place. The walls were lined with charts and maps of countless star constellations. In the middle of the hall was a giant model of the planets revolving around the sun. 

“Yes?” Draco answered quietly. They were alone in here, not a lot of people were up this early on a Sunday morning. Their voices reverberated against the walls. Rose and Draco had always loved the quietness of this hour, and since neither of them could sleep particularly well, Draco had decided to go on a little trip with her.

“Have you found anything yet that could help you?” Rose walked next to him and observed the paper of coordinates that Draco was looking at. It was hidden behind glass, so that curious visitors wouldn’t get their hands on it. 

“Help me?” Draco asked, confused. 

“You said that you had some problem at work and that maybe the answer for it would be here.”

Draco remembered. He was currently researching a remedy for a nasty curse that left one of his subjects immune to gravity. St. Mungo’s had contacted him, as usual, when they hadn’t known how to proceed after their initial diagnosis, and Draco, as usual, had been happy to help. This had been almost three months ago, and so far he hadn’t been able to keep the poor man on the ground. 

He shook his head. “No, unfortunately not. You see, the problem is that I don’t know what exactly I’m looking for.”

Rose contemplated this for a while, then she turned to him again: “We’ll just keep looking. You always say all the answers we need are in the stars.” Draco laughed. “Of course, this isn’t true. Not all the answers are in the stars. But I think you’re right in the sense that the stars can reveal things for us that we wouldn’t be able to grasp otherwise.”

Draco chuckled a little. She stepped closer to the glass, tracing the star constellations with her fingers. “That is very true, Rose. However, today I wanted to come here, not to study the stars but to get a little more insight on gravity.”

“Gravity?” She looked up at him curiously and furrowed her brows.

“Yes,” he said. “Do you want to move on to the next room? I think we are getting closer to the astrophysical area. That’s where I might find some answers.”

Rose nodded excitedly and sped through an opening into the next room. Draco was hopeful when he followed her. With his little researcher by his side, he might just be able to finally get the breakthrough he’d been hoping for for so long. 

“Are you working on an anti-gravity spell?” Rose asked, as soon as Draco had reached her. They were slowly wandering around the room, taking in the various posters that talked about gravity and mass. This room was much smaller compared to the previous one.

“No, quite the opposite, actually,” Draco explained. “There’s a man at work, who doesn’t seem to be affected by gravity. I want to help him but I can’t figure out how.”

Rose’s eyes widened. “Wow. That sounds fantastic!” Draco frowned at her, and she quickly added: “I mean, it’s terrible. Do you keep him on a rope so he doesn’t float away?” 

Draco laughed. “Not quite. He is wearing a heavy belt, however, to stop him from floating away. He can’t live his life like this, though. He can’t really move, you know?” Rose nodded and turned back to the poster. “I tried every counter-curse I know, but nothing seems to help. I think that I’ve developed a potion that should technically restore his mass back to normal, but for some reason it’s ineffective. I’ve been brewing it at every full moon to harvest the moon’s power but it always fails.”

“I’m sure you’ve used the right ingredients, Uncle Draco. Maybe you need to work differently with the moon and the stars? You know, the moon isn’t the strongest force just when we can see it fully. Gravity exists in relation to other planets, so the moon will influence your potion’s effect more than you might think.”

Draco didn’t respond, he simply watched Rose, marveling at her understanding of things. After a few seconds, she frowned at him and he felt bad for looking at her without saying anything.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Draco smiled. “I’m just in awe of you. I thought the exact same thing, that’s why I wanted to come here.” 

Rose smiled back at him. “I just wished I could help you.” 

“I think you just did,” Draco said, thinking. “I’ve been brewing the potion at full moon, but you’re right... Maybe I should be brewing it at new moon, when it lines up with the sun. Just because we can see the moon doesn’t mean that that’s when it’s the most powerful. I think for this spell, it might actually work the other way around! Rose, I think we’re really onto something here!”

Rose giggled excitedly. “When’s the next full moon? Can I help?”

“You’ll be having a whole different adventure in Hogwarts by then, but I’ll be sure to update you,” Draco laughed. “Can we head home? I really want to think this idea through and take notes.” 

Rose nodded. “Of course.”

Draco bent down a little, so he could look her directly into her eyes. “You’re a brilliant young lady, you know that? I’m so thankful to have you in my life.” He brushed her cheek, when she leapt forward and hugged him. He had to catch himself on his other leg, so he wouldn’t fall over. 

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she whispered into his ear. “Hanging out with you reminds me of hanging out with mummy. It makes me happy.” She put her head on his shoulders and Draco wrapped his arms around her more tightly. 

****

_December 15, 2017_

After Rose had started her first year at Hogwarts, it had gotten a lot more quiet at home. Hugo was keeping to himself in the evenings, and, although he felt guilty for thinking it, Draco was grateful for it. He’d been able to get a lot more work done, now that he had only one kid to take care of. Harry seemed a lot more stable, too; it was easier for him to focus his attention on one child.

Draco was currently responding to one of Rose’s letters. Although their home-life had become a little more stress-free without her, he still missed her terribly and couldn’t wait for her to return for Christmas next week. 

“Harry,” he called out, and Harry’s head popped in from the kitchen. His hair was as short as it had ever been, making his infamous scar shine brightly from his forehead. He was clean-shaven now, giving his face such a boyish look, that Draco’s heart still skipped whenever he’d forgotten about his new look and saw him. “I’m just finishing my letter to Rose. Have you written anything or do you just want me to say hi?”

“My letter’s on the cupboard over there,” Harry said, and pointed to Draco’s left. Draco was relieved to see that Harry had remembered writing something to Rose.

“Great,” Draco said. “I’ll put them in the envelope and send Alistair on his way. Hopefully, he’ll find his way. It’s stormy out.”

Harry frowned. “He’s an excellent owl. He’ll find her.” He disappeared back into the kitchen, and Draco got up and prepared Alistair’s delivery. He could hear Harry hum along to some song on the radio, when the doorbell rang. Draco closed the window behind Alistair, before he headed to the door and opened it. 

“Hi Ms Greengrass,” Draco laughed and hugged Astoria as she walked in.

“Oh, stop it!” She said, handing him a bottle. “This is wine. Open it up, please, I’m thirsty.” She took off her coat and whispered: “Also, I’m still a little anxious about having dinner with you and your somehow-still-not-ex-husband.”

Draco rolled his eyes and hung her coat on the wardrobe. “Don’t be so negative. It’s progress and we’re celebrating the fact that we’re all still alive after nine months of having children.”

They walked back in, and Harry greeted Astoria politely. “I’m glad you could make it.” He took the bottle from Draco and rushed back into the kitchen. “You guys sit down. I’ll just open this.”

The dining room table was set for dinner, and, along with Harry, several pots and pans came hovering out of the kitchen. Harry skillfully placed them, before serving them all.

“This smells delicious!” Astoria marvelled. “I have to admit. I was a bit suspicious coming here, but for the food only, I think I made the right choice.” 

Blunt, as always. Draco gave Harry a quick glance to see if he was going to react to her comment but he happily poured some wine and winked at Draco. He was weirdly relaxed.

“Thank you, Harry,” Draco said before shoving some potatoes into his mouth. He’d been starving all day and was looking forward to Harry’s cooking. Molly had given various tips without revealing her strictly guarded recipes, so Draco had high expectations - and he wasn’t disappointed in the least. 

“Did you drink polyjuice potion and are secretly Molly Weasley?” Draco asked after a while, floored by the taste. “This is unbelievable good.”

“No,” Harry laughed. “But I did ask her for help.” He smiled happily at himself, then he turned to Astoria: “She likes to be involved in the kids’ lives, you know.”

“I heard,” Astoria said and Draco kicked her under the table. “I mean… of course. She’s their grandmother.”

“Hugo’s with her tonight, so it seemed like a good exchange for some cooking tips,” Harry joked. 

“And how’s your other child?” Astoria asked, drinking some of her wine. It was hilarious to watch her and Harry attempting small talk. “Rosa.” 

“ _Rose_ is great,” Draco chimed in. “According to her letters she’s loving Hogwarts.”

“Gryffindor, I assume?”

Harry nodded.

“It baffles me how she’s not in Ravenclaw,” Draco admitted. “She’s got a brilliant mind.” He reached for his glass and shrugged.

“As long as she’s not a Slytherin, all’s lost anyway,” Astoria said dryly, trying to hide her laughing. 

“True. She could be successful like me, or…, “ Draco mused with a grin. “Or weird like you.” 

“Hey,” Astoria said. “I’m a terrific role model, okay? When Daphne’s daughter is older, I’ll teach her everything she needs to know to survive in this world.”

“And what would that be?” Harry asked, genuinely curious.

“That all men are evil,” Astoria said matter-of-factly and Draco snorted. “I just want her to become Minister of Magic and be the most powerful witch of all times, that’s it.”

“Glad you’re keeping your expectations low,” Draco said and finished his wine. “I’m stuffed! Harry, that was fantastic.”

“Yes,” Astoria agreed. “Thank you, again. Lovely meal. We could do better on the company, however,” she squinted at Draco, who only laughed and threw his napkin at her.

“Glad you two are getting along so well,” Harry said, chuckling, and got up. “I’ll clean this up, quickly. Why don’t you sit on the couch and take the wine with you.” With a flick of his wand, all the dishes rose in the air and levitated through the kitchen door. Draco and Astoria plucked their glasses and the bottle of wine out of the air and walked over to the sofa. 

“He seems… together,” Astoria said when they sat down, making sure that Harry wasn’t listening. “Although I don’t love the buzzcut.” 

“Yeah, he’s had a good week,” Draco said and stretched his legs out. “After four terrible months.”

Astoria nodded knowingly. “How are you?”

“I can’t even answer that question anymore,” Draco sighed. “I honestly don’t know. I’m good, I guess?”

“Elaborate.”

“Okay, so... work is great. I’ve had this breakthrough with the case-”

“The gravity thing?”

“Right,” Draco nodded. “They’re going to honor me for my research next week, actually.” He couldn’t hide a satisfied smile. Rose had truly been helpful with her little remark, so Draco took advantage of the new moon in September, brewed his potion like a maniac all night and - crazy enough - it worked. Since then, he’d kept improving his recipe and tested it a few more times, just to be safe that it was perfect. And it was. Following the success of his remedy, the Ministry had taken notice of Draco’s work, had reviewed his previous cases and had then decided to include him in their annual honoring of witches and wizards valuable to the community.

“What?” Astoria exclaimed and hugged him quickly. “That’s fantastic! Oh, Draco, I’m so proud of you!” 

“Thank you. I was going to invite you later. It’ll be a whole ceremony; I’m not the only one being honored but-”

“Yes, of course. I want to come! Oh, I’m so happy for you.” 

“But, as successfully as my career is progressing…” Draco started. Astoria just looked at him, bracing herself for what Draco was going to vent about. “I don’t know, Astoria. My personal life is a mess. It’s like… I’m waiting for something to happen. But I don’t know what.” He sighed and looked around the room, avoiding her. “All of this happened so unexpectedly and fast that I had no time to prepare. And now it’s been nine months and I don’t know where I’m at in my life. I mean… What is my marriage now? I have two kids?”

“Have you ever thought about dating anybody else? Moving forward?”

“Huh?” Draco frowned. “No. I have no desire to do that. And what would I say? Oh, I’m still living with my husband and we have two kids. But yeah, let’s grab a drink, Larry.”

“Larry? Please don’t ever date anybody named Larry,” Astoria commented and poured them some more wine. 

It was a lovely evening. The three of them shared another bottle of wine, and then Harry brought out the Firewhiskey. Although he didn’t understand Draco and Astoria’s banter, he was giggling and smiling, and Draco hadn’t seen him so uninhibited and carefree in… close to two years, more or less. Even after Astoria had left, their smiles were still lingering on their faces as they cleaned up the kitchen. 

“Dishwasher loaded,” Harry said as he pushed the button to turn it on. “And I think that’s it.”

“Dinner successfully hosted, I’d say,” Draco turned off the lights and together they walked back into the living room. “It’s been nice.”

“Yeah, it has. We haven’t done this in too long,” Harry said. “It was good to hang out with somebody our own age.”

“You seemed happy,” Draco said, as they headed for the stairs and climbed them. “Were you?”

Harry nodded. “I think so. After… Ron and Hermione’s deaths, I just didn’t… Didn’t feel like inviting anybody over. Even today, seeing you with _your_ best friend… It hurts.” They reached the top and walked into their shared bathroom. Usually, they weren’t in here together, given their different work schedules. “I miss having a best friend.”

Harry began brushing his teeth, but as Draco just stood and watched, he stopped. It was rare that Harry spoke about them now, especially so openly. Draco dared to put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Harry. I know life hasn’t exactly been kind to you.”

“It’s not that,” Harry shook his head rapidly. His eyes were hazy; he looked and sounded drunk. “I mean, I’ve had my fair share of losses over the years. But life has also given me a family. Hogwarts. The Weasleys. You. Hugo and Rose.” He paused for a moment and looked at himself in the mirror. “But losing Ron and Hermione… that was something I never expected. It threw me off completely. And honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever quite be the same again.”

“That’s okay,” Draco said, and Harry reached for his hand, which was still on Harry’s shoulder. “You will always miss them; that’s not going to stop. You just can’t stop living your life.” 

“I know,” Harry sighed and rubbed his face. “I’ve been terrible to you. And this is not self-pity. I _have_ been terrible. Long before Ron and Hermione died. But these past nine months, you’ve been a new man. You’re so smart with Rose, and sensitive with Hugo, and you’re so considerate of me. And you’re witty with Astoria. And gracious with the Weasleys. And you’re killing it at work! This is the brilliant Draco that I fell for all those years ago.”

Draco removed his hand, feeling a little uncomfortable. He wasn’t exactly ready to hear that, and part of him wanted to get out of the bathroom as fast as he could. “Harry, I-”

“I’m sorry,” Harry stepped back and almost fell down. “It’s the wine. And the Firewhiskey.” He touched his face with his hands and sighed. “I’m sorry. I think I have some stuff to work out. Something I have to do on my own...”

“What are you talking about?” asked Draco, but Harry didn’t answer. “You’re not alone. I’m right here.” 

Harry shook his head. “You don’t understand…” He seemed so far away, although he was standing right in front of Draco. If only Draco could get inside his mind maybe he could help him. Harry lifted his head and gave Draco another look; the intensity almost paralyzed him.

“I miss your beard,” Draco blurted out eventually. He wanted to say something. Anything. And this was the best thing that had come to his mind. Harry looked so innocent and small right now. Draco’s instinct was to run away but wasn’t this what he had been waiting for for so long? Harry opening up to him?

“You do?”

Draco nodded. He reached out and touched Harry’s smooth skin. “I know this sounds weird, but as your beard grew, you grew. You became a father and not just the guy who lost his best friends. The beard was your accessory to that role, and... it was nice seeing you with a different role for a change.” Harry laughed at that comment. He reached for the top button on his shirt and undid it.

“You know, it’s nice talking to you like this,” Harry said, slowly unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. Draco’s heart raced. What was he doing? “We haven’t been talking about serious things in a while.” He slid out of his shirt, and faced Daco, bare-chested. 

“Um, what’s happening here, Harry?” 

“I’m just changing into my pyjamas,” said Harry but made no advances to put on a different shirt. “I sleep naked, as you know.”

For the first time in almost two years, they spent the night in the same bed. 

***

_December 18, 2017_

“I’m sorry that I’m late, Ginny,” Draco mumbled as she let him into her place. It was eerily reminiscent of the Burrow, with a hint of modernity. It had the same warmth that Draco had come to cherish, and although he preferred his own place to be a lot more sterile and simple, he could appreciate the homey atmosphere. 

“That’s okay, you’re barely fifteen minutes late,” she said calmly and closed the door behind them. “Don’t worry.” 

“Hey pumpkin,” Draco greeted Hugo, who promptly jumped into his open arms. “Did you have a nice time with your aunt?”

“Yes!” Hugo laughed, as usual. Ginny’s was his favorite place to stay at, and, thank Merlin, she loved watching him whenever Draco had to work. 

“Alright, go get your things. I’ll have a quick chat with Ginny here, and then we’ll head home. It’s time for bed, mister!” Draco ordered, and after a huge sigh, Hugo dragged himself into the next room to grab his bag.

“Still no word from Harry?” Ginny asked hesitantly, as soon as Hugo was out of sight. 

Draco shook his head. “Nope.” Today was day three of Harry’s mysterious disappearance. After they had spent the night together, when Astoria had been over for dinner, Harry had gotten up in the morning and not returned since. He had sent a letter to Draco, simply telling him not to worry, that there was something he needed to take care of and that he’d return soon. “I feel like I’m going insane, to be honest.” 

Ginny reached out for him and caressed Draco’s arm. “I’m so sorry. This is so unlike him.”

“Is it? It’s been up and down with him for a while now,” Draco sighed and Ginny just looked at him, worried. “He just left me hanging. I can look after Hugo, thanks to your support, but Rose is returning in a few days and I don’t think I can keep this from your parents any longer.”

“I know,” Ginny said quietly. “They’ve been asking about him. He’s not responding to their messages either. I keep telling them their owl is messing up.” 

Draco laughed a little and sighed again. “Alright, I have to keep my thoughts focussed. I’ll be working during Hugo’s school hours from home for the rest of the week, so you’re off the hook.”

“We are still on for your ceremony on Friday, right?” Ginny asked. Right, the ceremony. In all the craziness from the past few days Draco had almost forgotten that he was receiving an honor for his work. It meant a great deal to Draco, as the Malfoy name hadn’t necessarily been associated with honor and success in the past decade. Yet, here he was, finally achieving something worth talking about, worth honoring, even! 

“Yes! I want you to be there! It means a lot to me that you’re going to come,” Draco said honestly and forced himself to smile, even though his head was spinning from thinking about Harry. 

“Then I’ll be happy to be there,” she said. “Now, go home and get some rest. Harry’s tough. He’ll be fine, wherever he is. I know this is easier said than done, but try and don’t worry too much.” 

Hugo was shuffling back into the room, his backpack over his shoulder. Ginny reached over and got his jacket, then helped him to put it on.

“Are you ready?” Draco asked and ruffled his hair. Hugo nodded and hugged Ginny goodbye. “Thank you, again.”

“No problem,” Ginny smiled and opened the door for them. “Get home safely and I’ll see you both on Friday!”

“Good night, Aunt Ginny!” Hugo piped and waved at his aunt. 

On their way home, he told Draco all about his school day and the games he’d played with Ginny. Draco was doing his best to respond at the right moments, but his mind was still with Harry. Where the hell was he? Why had he left? Sure, he had missed Ron and Hermione that night, but he’d seemed happy nonetheless. They had even had sex, for the first time in two years! Clearly, Draco had read too much into that, because the next morning, Harry had been gone.

“When is Uncle Harry coming back?” Hugo asked when they had gotten home and was just tucked into bed by Draco. He looked a little worried, clutching his favorite plush lion as Draco pulled the blanket over him. 

“He’ll be back soon, pumpkin,” Draco whispered. “I promise. He just has a lot on his mind right now, but he loves you very, very much.” 

“Okay,” Hugo said, seemingly content with the answer.

“Sleep tight, okay?” Draco said, giving him a quick kiss and heading towards the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” 

“Night,” Hugo answered before Draco turned off the lights and left Hugo’s room. 

With a heavy heart, he headed downstairs. He had spent many nights alone before, but now that Harry wasn’t just at work or with the Weasleys, Draco felt awfully lonely. He looked around their living room and stopped at the sofa they had all been sitting on the night before Harry’s disappearance. 

Draco felt terrible facing Hugo at the moment. He wasn’t going to lie to him, but there was no way he could explain to Hugo what was going on. To be fair, Draco didn’t even know himself what exactly was going on. Not even two years ago, Hugo had lost both of his parents. And now Harry had decided to walk out on them again? Draco felt sad, worried and furious at the same time. Hugo and Rose were his _children_ , damn it! He wasn’t going to let anybody hurt them - and this included Harry. 

He sat down with a little more vigor than intended, surprised at his own anger. It wasn’t just that Harry had left them. He had also left Draco. After everything they’d been through! 

With one quick move, Draco pulled out his phone and dialled Harry’s number. It took a while until it went to voicemail, but Draco had become used to the annoying dial tone over the last three days. Technically, it would be nice to craft an angry, handwritten letter and send it by owl, but time was of the essence. As he waited for his moment to speak, Draco got up again and walked into the kitchen.

“Harry,” Draco spat, as soon as the recording sound appeared. He paused for a moment to take a breath. “I can’t do this anymore. This rollercoaster needs to end. For two years we’ve been going up and down, and I’ve truly had enough now.” With his free hand, he rummaged in the drawer in front of him, until he pulled out a stack of paper. “I don’t know where you are, but you’re leaving me with no choice. So I’m giving you one: Either you commit to this family, or I’m out. I need some stability in my life, and that’s either going to be with you or without you. I can’t force you, so I’ll leave it up to you.” He summoned a pen, which quickly came flying to him. “I’m signing the divorce papers as I’m speaking to you right now. When you’ve made your choice, you either sign them or we get rid of them once and for all. And no matter what you decide: come the fuck home.” He ended the call and placed his phone on the counter.

In one quick motion he signed his name in beautiful, curved letters.

***

_December 19, 2017_

“So… you finally signed those papers?” Astoria asked curiously, when Draco met her for a quick coffee the next morning. He had dropped off Hugo at school before running a few errands and finally meeting Astoria at their favorite cafe. 

They had grabbed to-go cups and were slowly strolling down one of London’s busy streets. The sky was a mix between grey and white, but no snow was falling yet. They were both protected from the cold winter air with woolen hats; Draco wore his favorite black coat, and Astoria had draped a massive scarf around her neck. 

“I did,” Draco nodded and drank from his cup. The liquid was hot when it hit his lips, but he swallowed it anyway. “He gave me no choice. Something needs to happen.”

“I get it,” Astoria said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I would have packed my bags already if I were you.”

“Sounds like you,” Draco said and bumped playfully into her. “But when I think about Friday and that ceremony… I just want him there. As annoyed as I am with him, a part of me misses him terribly.”

“Ugh, you’re still in love,” Astoria sighed. “Love always makes things complicated, doesn’t it?”

Draco stared at the ground. “I guess I really am still in love with him?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Well, if I can’t imagine my big night without him, and I suddenly loathe his absence… that means I’m in love with him, doesn’t it? Even though he’s acting like a real brat?” Draco concluded and Astoria gave him a knowing look. She put her arm around his shoulder, despite him being taller than her. 

“Listen”, she started. “If Harry’s not a complete idiot, he’ll realize that you’re fantastic and brilliant and that he can’t possibly live without you. You’re a gift, to all of us. And if he doesn’t come back, I’ll even promise to assist you with those children of yours.”

“You’ll assist me with those children of mine?” Draco laughed. “That doesn’t sound like support, more like a threat.” 

“Oh shut it, Malfoy.” 

After that, they quickly parted ways and Draco found himself heading to _Diagon Alley_. He pushed himself through the masses of witches and wizards wrapped up in thick robes and headed straight to _Flourish and Blotts_. The little shop was crowded as usual, but Draco knew exactly what he was going to buy, so he headed straight for the counter. He had picked out a book on lunar phases for Rose last week, which would go really well with the telescope she was getting for Christmas, so he wanted to give it to her when she was coming home today. Unfortunately, it had been out of stock, but Draco was hopeful that he could buy it now.

“Hi. I was here last week and placed an order for _Faces of the Moon: The Art of Harmony with Lunar Cycles_ by Cynthia Kaldera,” he explained to an older, short wizard waiting behind the counter. “I was told I could pick it up today?”

“Name,” the wizard drawled and opened up a large binder, stuffed with various notes and receipts. He put his glasses that were sitting on the top of his head on his nose and looked down.

“Malfoy, Draco.” 

The clerk flipped through his files with a flick of his hand, until he picked out a form and wandered somewhere in the back. After a minute he reappeared, Draco’s book in hand. “There you go, Mister Malfoy. Are you paying right away or shall I put this on your list?”

“Place it on my list, thank you.” As a loyal and frequent customer, Draco was taking advantage of _Flourish and Blotts_ service that billed him at the end of the month for all his purchases. Especially since Hugo and Rose had become a larger part of his life, Draco had spent countless hours in the bookshop, browsing for literature that could interest either of them. On top of that, Draco often bought research material for his strange cases at work. 

After his shopping, he quickly picked up his dress robes for his ceremony from _Madame Malkin’s_ and hurried home to get the apartment in order and prepare some lunch before he had to pick up Hugo from school again. 

The second he unlocked the front door a weird shiver crept over him. Suddenly, Draco felt uneasy. He looked over his shoulder, but he couldn’t see anything suspicious. Was he being followed? Shuddering, he let himself in and locked the door behind him. 

“Hi.”

With his hands behind his back, Harry calmly stood right there in the hallway. Draco’s bags got out of his hands and fell to the floor. 

“Did I scare you?” Harry asked, his face showing concern. He reached out and took one step forward, but Draco signaled him to stay still with one finger, so he froze. 

“Are you out of your mind?” Draco asked quietly, trying to ignore the anger that was welling up inside of him. “You’ve been gone for almost four days, and now you just show up here?” 

“Isn’t that what you wanted me to do?” Harry asked, a little puzzled.

Draco let out a groan, slid out of his coat and hung it up. He picked up his bags, gave Harry an exasperated look and then shuffled by him, heading into the kitchen. “Well, is there going to be an explanation?” He asked as he took out his purchases.

Harry had followed Draco, now standing on the other side of the counter. “Draco, please. Could you stop that for a minute?” Draco took a breath and lifted his head to look at Harry. “Thank you.” 

Harry rounded the counter to stand next to Draco, which didn’t necessarily help Draco calm down. “First of all, I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long. I thought it would only be a day, but it was worse than I thought.” 

“What are you talking about?” Draco asked. “By Merlin, Harry, stop being so cryptic!” He rested both hands on the counter, eyeing Harry. 

“That night, when we…”, Harry began.

“Had sex?”, Draco filled in. 

“Yes,” Harry nodded. “Seeing you with Astoria was… like a catalyst for me,” Harry said. “It broke this wall that I had been building up and let all the pain flow out. When I woke up the next morning, I knew what I had to do. I could finally see how all this grief was holding me back and… corrupting me, basically.”

Draco blinked at him, then said: “That’s when you figured it out? Harry, the fact that their deaths devastated you was no secret. We’ve known that for some time.”

“Yes, but I could finally pinpoint that emotion… this, this… knot inside of me, that I needed to unravel, that blocked me completely and kept me from devoting myself to saving our marriage. I’m sorry that it has taken so long, and I wish it would have happened sooner.” He frowned at Draco, a pleading look in his eyes. “I just needed that time to process everything. I needed to put myself back together before I could be a father. Or a husband to you.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Draco replied, looking away. Harry’s words made sense, somehow, yet the anger and disappointment kept on burning inside of Draco. “You could have told me you had this… miracle epiphany. I would have understood. But you just left me. How do you think that’s made me feel?”

Harry eyes wandered to the ground, almost in shame. “I feel awful... I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to. That night, when you said how you liked me in my new role, it made me think. I realized that I had to find myself again in order to be there for you and the kids, and, to be honest, for my own sanity. I was holding onto this Harry that was a part of a trio, with his two best friends by his side. And I couldn’t accept that I had to be a different Harry now.” He stepped away from Draco, looking out of the window. “When I woke up, I knew I had to let go of this old idea and accept my new reality.”

“So, what did you do then?” Draco asked, looking after him. “Where did you go?”

“I went to the cemetery to see Ron and Hermione,” Harry explained. “I talked to them for hours, and I told them everything I was feeling and thinking. After that, I felt so empty and small, that I went to Godric’s Hollow.”

“Your parents?” Draco asked, furrowing his brows. Harry nodded, still staring out of the window.

“I went to see their graves as well. It felt only fitting. I spent the night there, where I had experienced the first major loss in my life. Realizing that I had accepted their death a long time ago, I knew it was time to accept Ron and Hermione’s.” Harry swallowed and smiled faintly at Draco. Draco turned towards him, signaling that he was listening, despite the emotional turmoil inside of him. “So I returned to Ron and Hermione’s graves one more time - this time I felt more peaceful and accepting. And I realized how much I loved them, and how this love will never ever go away. That’s something that will always be inside of me and it will live on in their children. Nobody can ever take that away from me, not even death.” 

A few seconds passed where neither of them said anything, both too busy with their own thoughts. With slow steps, Draco approached Harry, swallowed his anger for a second and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Sounds to me like you’ve finally moved on.” 

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. “I think so. I feel… whole again. There will never be a day that I don’t miss them, but I finally feel in control again, like I can actively live my life instead of being a passive spectator.” He smiled at Draco. “Which brings me to you.” 

Draco raised his eyebrows. While there were still a bunch of things he wanted to shout at Harry, he felt a little calmer than a few minutes ago and he was anxious to hear what else Harry had to say, particularly in regard to Draco. “I’m listening.”

“My last stop brought me to the Burrow yesterday. After clearing the air with myself, I wanted to help Molly. We’ve ignored her state for too long, just like everybody was tiptoeing around the shape I’d been in for too long,” Harry said, almost chuckling. “So I talked to her. At first, she brushed me off as she would usually do when somebody would try and bring up Ron and Hermione to her. But last night, when we were huddled over two steaming mugs of tea in her kitchen, I didn’t shy away from asking the questions I knew would hurt. We cried a lot and we shared memories, and eventually, around 3 am, I told her about what we were going through with our marriage.”

Draco gasped audibly. That was something Molly couldn’t have taken well. “You did? Did she slap you?” 

Harry laughed and started wandering around the kitchen. “She did, actually. For not telling her sooner. Called me a disgrace of a son.” They both chuckled. Draco could practically see Molly from Harry’s description, and he was glad the he wasn’t in Harry’s shoes. “And then she apologized for dumping the kids in our laps.”

“Is that what she said?” Draco asked.

“Word for word,” said Harry. “But we quickly agreed that they didn’t have anything to do with the situation you and me were in. They’re great and happier than when they lived at the Burrow. If anything, it was my grief that was straining my relationship with them, not our issues.”

“Right,” Draco agreed. “For a second there I thought Molly said that she wanted to take them back.”

“No,” Harry shook his head. “She was actually quite understanding. And before you ask: no, she didn’t say a bad word about you. She still loves you very much, no matter how disbelieving you’ve always been.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t going to ask that. Although I’m having a hard time believing that she was so nonchalant about this.”

“She wasn’t,” Harry continued. “She lectured me on the value of marriage, and talked about compromises and sacrifices. She made me realize that I need to put an effort into our marriage, instead of waiting for it to improve on its own.” He suddenly came very close to Draco. 

“It took you this long to realize that?” Draco wondered, cocking his head to the side. “A relationship is always work. You always have to put in effort, Harry.”

“I know. I guess I just stopped doing that along the way, and after Ron and Hermione’s death I was too paralyzed to do anything about it,” Harry said quietly. “But not anymore.” He opened one of the drawers in front of him, and Draco immediately knew what he was going to pull out. Harry turned the pages of their divorce papers, swallowing when he saw Draco’s signature. 

“I wasn’t bluffing when I told you I’d sign,” Draco said, eyeing the document and Harry suspiciously. Harry held it in his hands and stared at it, frowning. “It’s still your choice. All I want is to break out of this… this cage. I’m not going to tell you what to do. You need to decide if you want to invest in this family, in me, or not.” 

Harry looked up, took out his wand, and said with a clear voice: “ _Diffindo!_ ” A glowing line appeared where he traced his wand over the papers, accurately cutting them in half. 

***

_December 22, 2017_

“To Draco!” 

The loud cheers of everybody sitting at their table filled Draco with pride. It wasn’t like in his teenage years, when he had constantly and to no avail seeked for his father’s or the Dark Lord’s approval by fulfilling their horrible, evil orders. No, tonight was different. All these people had come to celebrate him for doing something _good_ , something that helped other people and didn’t put them in danger. And it felt so right and sincere. 

To his left at their round table, Draco found Astoria laughing into her glass of wine over something Ginny, who sat on Astoria’s other side, had murmured right after the toast. Next to Ginny sat Molly, who was now busy cutting something on Hugo’s plate, even though he was by far old enough to do it himself, which is why Rose was eyeing him skeptically from the side. On the children’s other side sat Arthur, just as happy as Molly to spoil the kids and turn his full attention to them. The final seat between Arthur and Draco was filled by Harry, patting Draco’s knee as if to reassure him of Harry’s presence.

“I just want to thank you all for coming tonight. It’s a huge honor for me to be recognized for my work and to bring something positive to the Malfoy name,” Draco said, his eyes moving from one person to the next. “It makes me very happy that you’re all here to share my success. I consider myself very lucky to have each and everyone of you in my life.” Harry put his hand back on Draco’s knee, and Astoria was hiding behind her glass, failing to keep her composure. “And one more thing: One more massive thank you is in order for Rose.” He looked directly at her, shyly sitting on her hands. “My love, you are a fantastic partner to me, and without you I wouldn’t have been able to solve this case. You are a brilliant young woman, and I’m immensely proud of you.” Arthur put his arm around Rose, who was now grinning into his shoulder. “And Hugo, having you in my life makes it so much better too, of course.” Everybody laughed and Hugo hid his face in his hands, embarrassed by Draco’s words. 

“I know I keep repeating myself, but you’re such a dad!” Astoria laughed at Draco. “But it looks good on you, I have to admit.” They smiled at each other and Draco turned his attention back to the last bite of his chocolate cake. He couldn’t stop smiling; he was too overwhelmed with happiness and contentment. Two hours ago he had been terribly nervous, but the second his name had been called and he had spotted a certain Harry Potter in the audience, Draco had felt confident and calm. 

“Can I have some more pumpkin pie when we get back home?” Hugo pleaded, when they were leaving the restaurant. Molly laughed heartily. “Please, grandma!”

“No, Hugo, we already said we would make some pudding tonight!” Rose reminded him, clearly looking forward to her sleepover at the Burrow. Hugo pulled his tongue out at her, before they both looked to Molly, waiting for a decision.

“Oh, we might just have too many pots to stir then! How about you both help me out?” she suggested with twinkling eyes, as she rounded up her two grandchildren around her. “We might even have to try one of my self-stirring spells, don’t you think?” She giggled, and Draco turned towards Ginny, to say his goodbyes. He was glad to hear Molly talk about magic freely, and Ginny clearly felt the same, as she held him extra tightly for a moment. 

“We will see you the day after tomorrow,” Harry told the children, before they parted ways. “Draco and I will bring all the presents over to the Burrow and we’ll have a lovely Christmas, all right?” They both fell into Harry and Draco’s arms and then hurried off with Molly, Arthur and Ginny. 

“Congratulations, again,” Astoria said, smiling at Draco. “And have a lovely Christmas, you two!” She waved as she disappeared out of sight. As Draco turned around, he found Harry waiting for him with his hand outstretched. With a knowing look, he intertwined their fingers and started walking down the block. They had a relatively short walk home, and it felt nice to be out for a quick stroll in the winter air. 

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked, his deep voice calm and stable in Draco’s ear. 

“Exhausted,” Draco answered truthfully. “Like a load’s been lifted off of me. The last few days have been so stressful.” Harry nodded, knowing that he hadn’t exactly helped to improve Draco’s situation. “Rose coming back, the ceremony today, you being gone, not knowing about our marriage and all that right before Christmas… It’s been rough, to be honest.” He wasn’t trying to make Harry feel bad, but it felt good to vent a little. He was still hurt by Harry’s actions but the past few days they had really made an effort to talk things through and get much-needed understanding of each other. It was a good start and it felt nice to be standing in the same corner for once. 

“Then let’s get you home so you can relax,” Harry said, clutching Draco’s hand tightly. “Merlin knows you deserve it.” 

Draco smiled and sighed contentedly, feeling as calm as he hadn’t in a very long time. They were going to be fine.


End file.
